Paper short abstract:

This paper analyzes how, while becoming strong partners of the Northern Province Institution, 2 big NGOs progressively contributed to remodel Kanaks' views and claims on their land in the specific political context of "negotiated decolonization" New Caledonia has been engaged in since 1998.

Paper long abstract:

Since the years 2000 in New Caledonia, and more specifically in the Northern Province of this insular territory, world-wide known environmental NGOs have greatly been involved in environmental policymaking. Their influence on natural resources management within the Northern Province Institution has been so important in the past 10 years than we can currently observe that locals' public discourse on their own land and place is now matching internationally promoted values. This seems to lead to one unique co-built way of describing and claiming connection to land, both by NGOs and locals. And yet it is well known that in New Caledonia land has been the epicenter of both colonial and post-colonial politics, sense of place and connection to land do change consistently according to the actors.

The analysis presented here relies on two empirical case studies of protected areas and hotspots of the Caledonian outstanding vegetal biodiversity which management have been de facto delegated to international NGOs (Aoupinié Forest Massif and Mount Panié). More specifically, this paper aims to describe and analyze how, while becoming strong partners of the Northern Province Institution, two NGOs (CI and WWF) progressively contributed to remodel locals' views and claims on their land in the very specific political context of "negotiated decolonization" New Caledonia has been engaged in since the 1998 Noumea Agreement onward.